System and method for anonymized disclosure of corporate data in electronic negotiations

Abstract

An automated electronic negotiation system permits anonymous negotiations between one or more buyer entities and one or more seller entities. Each buyer entity and seller entity registers and provides information related to the respective entity. The information is stored confidentially and released in a step-wise fashion only upon authorization. The buyer and seller are represented by respective agents. The agents are typically software modules that conduct negotiations in accordance with a predetermined set of rules. The respective agents disclose information in response to requests during the negotiation process. Disclosures may be preauthorized or require explicit authorization of the information owner. Buyer and seller entities are assigned pseudo identities for initial negotiations. Disclosure of the true identity of the party must be explicitly authorized during the negotiation process. The system is applicable to purchases and sales of assets, mergers and acquisitions, joint ventures, partial sale of assets, and the like.

1 . A computer-readable medium whose contents control an electronic transaction for sale of a seller entity to a buyer entity, by causing a processor to:
 store seller entity data received from a seller entity, including seller entity identification data and seller entity contact information and corporate information related to the seller entity;   store buyer entity data received from a buyer entity, including buyer entity identification data and buyer entity contact information;   receive a buyer entity inquiry regarding a seller entity listing, the seller entity listing including a portion of the seller entity data;   receive a seller entity decision regarding responding to the buyer entity inquiry;   disclose an additional portion of seller entity data to the buyer entity if the seller entity decision is to respond to the buyer entity inquiry;   repeat the receiving a buyer entity inquiry and receiving a seller entity decision; and   disclose additional portions of seller entity data to the buyer entity so long as the seller entity decision is to respond to the buyer entity inquiry.   
     
     
         2 . The computer-readable medium of  claim 1 , further comprising instructions to cause the processor to receive a proposal from the buyer entity or the seller entity and to receive a response to the proposal. 
     
     
         3 . The computer-readable medium of  claim 2  wherein the response indicates an acceptance of the proposal, the computer-readable medium further comprising instructions to cause the processor to:
 generate an agreement for acceptance by the buyer entity and the seller entity; and   remove the seller entity listing.   
     
     
         4 . The computer-readable medium of  claim 2  wherein the response indicates a refusal of the proposal, the computer-readable medium further comprising instructions to cause the processor to terminate authorization of the disclosure of additional portions of seller entity data. 
     
     
         5 . The computer-readable medium of  claim 1  wherein the seller entity selects the portion of the seller entity data for the seller listing in the form of standardized seller entity company description data. 
     
     
         6 . The computer-readable medium of  claim 5  wherein the seller entity decision is to respond to the buyer entity inquiry and is made in advance of the receiving the buyer entity inquiry regarding the seller entity listing, the computer-readable medium comprising further instructions that cause the processor to automatically disclose the additional portion of seller entity data to the buyer entity upon receiving the buyer entity inquiry. 
     
     
         7 . The computer-readable medium of  claim 1  wherein the seller entity selects the additional portion of seller entity data to disclose to the buyer entity. 
     
     
         8 . The computer-readable medium of  claim 7  wherein the seller entity decision is to respond to the buyer entity inquiry and is made in advance of the receiving the buyer entity inquiry regarding the seller entity listing, the computer-readable medium comprising further instructions that cause the processor to automatically disclose the additional portion of seller entity data to the buyer entity upon receiving the buyer entity inquiry. 
     
     
         9 . An electronic transaction system for a transaction between a seller entity to a buyer entity comprising:
 a first data structure configured to receive and store information; and   a seller agent program module configured to:
 store information related to the seller entity in the first data structure; 
 post a seller entity listing to an active sale list, the seller entity listing including a portion of the seller entity information from the first data structure; 
 receive a buyer entity inquiry regarding the seller entity listing; 
 disclose an additional portion of seller entity information from the first data structure in response to the buyer entity inquiry if authorized to respond to the buyer entity inquiry; and 
 repeat the receiving a buyer entity inquiry and disclosing additional portions of seller entity information from the first data structure to the buyer entity so long as the seller agent is authorized to respond to the buyer entity inquiry. 
   
     
     
         10 . The system of  claim 9  wherein the seller agent is authorized to disclose the additional portion of seller entity information in advance of the receiving the buyer entity inquiry, the seller agent automatically disclosing the additional portion of seller entity information upon receiving the buyer entity inquiry. 
     
     
         11 . The system of  claim 9  wherein the seller agent is further configured to communicate with the seller entity upon receiving the buyer entity inquiry to thereby obtain seller entity authorization to disclose the additional portion of seller entity information. 
     
     
         12 . The system of  claim 9  wherein the buyer inquiry includes a request for identification of the seller entity, the seller agent being further configured to communicate with the seller entity upon receiving the buyer entity inquiry to thereby obtain seller entity authorization to disclose the seller entity identity. 
     
     
         13 . The system of  claim 9 , further comprising:
 a second data structure; and   a buyer agent program module configured to:
 store information related to the buyer entity in the second data structure; 
 query the active sale list to identify the seller entity listing; 
 generate the buyer entity inquiry regarding the seller entity listing; 
 receive an additional portion of seller entity data from the first data structure in response to the buyer entity inquiry if the seller agent is authorized to respond to the buyer entity inquiry; 
 receive a seller entity inquiry regarding the buyer entity; and 
 disclose a portion of buyer entity data from the second data structure in response to the seller entity inquiry if the buyer agent is authorized to respond to the seller entity inquiry. 
   
     
     
         14 . The system of  claim 13  wherein the buyer agent is authorized to disclose the portion of buyer entity information in advance of the receiving the seller entity inquiry, the buyer agent automatically disclosing the portion of buyer entity information upon receiving the seller entity inquiry. 
     
     
         15 . The system of  claim 13  wherein the buyer agent is further configured to communicate with the buyer entity upon receiving the seller entity inquiry to thereby obtain buyer entity authorization to disclose the portion of buyer entity information. 
     
     
         16 . The system of  claim 13  wherein the seller inquiry includes a request for identification of the buyer entity, the buyer agent being further configured to communicate with the buyer entity upon receiving the seller entity inquiry to thereby obtain buyer entity authorization to disclose the buyer entity identity. 
     
     
         17 . The system of  claim 13  wherein the first and second data structures are portions of a single data structure. 
     
     
         18 . The system of  claim 13  wherein the buyer agent query of the active sale list generates a search result, the system further comprising a search storage data structure configured to receive and store the search result. 
     
     
         19 . An electronic transaction system for a transaction between a seller entity and a buyer entity comprising:
 a first data structure configured to receive and store information; and   a buyer agent program module configured to:
 store information related to the buyer entity in the first data structure; 
 query an active sale list to identify a first seller entity listing that matches buyer-selected search criteria; 
 generate a buyer entity inquiry requesting additional seller entity data related to the first seller entity listing; 
 receive the additional seller entity data in response to the buyer entity inquiry if a seller agent for the first seller entity is authorized to respond to the buyer entity inquiry; 
 receive a seller entity inquiry regarding the buyer entity; and 
 disclose a portion of buyer entity data from the first data structure in response to the seller entity inquiry if the buyer agent is authorized to respond to the seller entity inquiry. 
   
     
     
         20 . The system of  claim 19  wherein the buyer-selected search criteria is selected from a group of search criteria comprising seller geographic location, seller size, or seller industry type. 
     
     
         21 . The system of  claim 19  wherein the buyer-selected search criteria comprises a key word search term. 
     
     
         22 . The system of  claim 19  wherein the buyer agent query of the active sale list generates a search result, the system further comprising a search storage data structure configured to receive and store the search result. 
     
     
         23 . The system of  claim 22  wherein the first data structure and the search storage data structure are portions of a single data structure. 
     
     
         24 . The system of  claim 19  wherein the buyer agent is configured to repeat the query at predetermined intervals to identify an additional seller entity that matches the buyer-selected search criteria. 
     
     
         25 . The system of  claim 24  wherein the buyer agent is further configured to provide automatic notification to the buyer entity when the query of the active search list identifies the additional seller entity that matches the buyer-selected search criteria.